Summary of Chapter 2:
In this chapter, Schlosser discusses the increase of advertising targeting children. While the internet is of growing importance in terms of assembling data about children, the targeted audience, television remains the main medium for children's advertising. The typical American child now spends nearly twenty-one hours per week watching television. However, the marketing efforts extend beyond commercials. The McDonald's corporation now operates more than eight thousand playgrounds at its restaurants in the United States. The marketing strategies aimed at children such as promotional toys in Happy Meals continue to be effective in tempting customers back again and again. Marketing to children has become an art that is aimed at developing life-long customers. McDonald's has proceeded to promote itself as a "Trusted Friend," suggesting it's concerned about customer's well-being.
Research supporting the book:
According to over a year-long study on twelve of the nation's big fast-food restaurants performed by a team of public health researchers from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, despite industry efforts to decrease marketing targeting children, fast-food advertising geared toward 2-to-18 year-olds increased. The research focused on menu composition, external advertising, in-store marketing, and consumer behavior. The results provide proof for the success of such marketing techniques.The report found that African American kids and teens are exposed to at least fifty percent more fast-food ads than white kids and teens. Forty percent of parents reported their child asked to go to McDonald's at least once a week and fifteen percent of preschoolers' parents reported receiving such a request every day. The researchers found eating fast-food has almost become routine for many families. Kelly Brownwell, co-founder and director of the Rudd Center, says the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into designating children as a "protected" group in an effort to shield them from advertising of unhealthy foods. Restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King pledged to minimize marketing to children, however it applied primarily to television advertisements. These companies remain dominant online: McDonald's has thirteen different websites targeted at children alone. Additionally, fast-food restaurants heavily rely on in-store marketing techniques such as the ever popular Happy Meal toy. The researchers found the ultimate goal of fast-food marketing is to improve brand association starting at an early age.
Your Trusted Friends
Summary of Chapter 2:
In this chapter, Schlosser discusses the increase of advertising targeting children. While the internet is of growing importance in terms of assembling data about children, the targeted audience, television remains the main medium for children's advertising. The typical American child now spends nearly twenty-one hours per week watching television. However, the marketing efforts extend beyond commercials. The McDonald's corporation now operates more than eight thousand playgrounds at its restaurants in the United States. The marketing strategies aimed at children such as promotional toys in Happy Meals continue to be effective in tempting customers back again and again. Marketing to children has become an art that is aimed at developing life-long customers. McDonald's has proceeded to promote itself as a "Trusted Friend," suggesting it's concerned about customer's well-being.
Research supporting the book:
According to over a year-long study on twelve of the nation's big fast-food restaurants performed by a team of public health researchers from Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, despite industry efforts to decrease marketing targeting children, fast-food advertising geared toward 2-to-18 year-olds increased. The research focused on menu composition, external advertising, in-store marketing, and consumer behavior. The results provide proof for the success of such marketing techniques.The report found that African American kids and teens are exposed to at least fifty percent more fast-food ads than white kids and teens. Forty percent of parents reported their child asked to go to McDonald's at least once a week and fifteen percent of preschoolers' parents reported receiving such a request every day. The researchers found eating fast-food has almost become routine for many families. Kelly Brownwell, co-founder and director of the Rudd Center, says the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into designating children as a "protected" group in an effort to shield them from advertising of unhealthy foods. Restaurants such as McDonald's and Burger King pledged to minimize marketing to children, however it applied primarily to television advertisements. These companies remain dominant online: McDonald's has thirteen different websites targeted at children alone. Additionally, fast-food restaurants heavily rely on in-store marketing techniques such as the ever popular Happy Meal toy. The researchers found the ultimate goal of fast-food marketing is to improve brand association starting at an early age.
http://healthland.time.com/2010/11/08/study-fast-food-ads-target-kids-with-unhealthy-food-and-it-works/
Opposing Viewpoints: